The Week’s Muse: 21 March

A round-up of recent news and comment from The Muse Room

Terror attack at Tunisia’s Bardo Museum

This week, two gunmen stormed the Bardo Museum in the Tunisian capital of Tunis, killing 25 people (both foreign tourists and local workers) and injuring many more before they were killed by security forces. Nine people have since been arrested.

Regional museums are in crisis. Can they survive?

The Courtauld recently hosted a discussion about the funding crisis affecting the UK’s regional museums. Can they weather the storm? Optimism tempered by realism was the order of the day, reports Thomas Marks. But some, like Bournemouth’s Russel-Cotes Museum, are in immediate trouble.

How should private collectors and public museums work together?

‘When we talk about the history of museums, we must to a degree always be talking about the history of private collecting.’ This year’s TEFAF Art Symposium explored the links between private and public art collections, and was moderated by Thomas Marks. Read his opening speech online.

Last chance to enjoy Asia Week New York

Louise Nicholson toured dozens of galleries in a single day to bring us the best of this year’s Asia Week New York. If you’re tempted, hurry – the event and many of the shows end today.

TEFAF Treasures

Those in Maastricht have one more day to seek out their highlights from TEFAF –the fair closes tomorrow. There’s a wealth of exceptional work on show. Digby Warde-Aldam and I picked out a few personal favourites on the stands.

Changing times for Helsinki’s museums

It’s not just the Guggenheim that has ambitions for Helsinki. Tom Jeffreys writes in from Finland about Kiasma’s reopening after a six-month refurbishment, and Amos Anderson’s plans for a major new museum in the city centre.

Richard Long honoured as the Whitechapel Gallery Art Icon

Portrait by Jooney Woodward

This week, Richard Long was anointed as the ‘Whitechapel Gallery Icon’. Jon Day spoke to the artist for our March issue about mud, mark-making, his new series of prints, and of course, walking: ‘there’s a whole generation of artists who call themselves walking artists. I’ve got a lot to answer for.’